Toyota to restart production at Hokkaido factories affected by earthquakes

AUTO NEWS

Some Toyota plants in Hokkaido resume operation today

by Jose Altoveros

September 11, 2018 11:44

Should you have been watching the news lately, natural disasters have been heavily affecting Japan recently. Following the super typhoon that hit the country's southern region, a massive 6.7 magnitude earthquake struck the northern region of Hokkaido, Japan last September 6. With a number pf people missing or displaced, and lack of transport, water and power services in the entire region, Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) had decided to pause production in their Hokkaido plants.

Just five days after the deadly earthquake struck, the Japanese automaker has announced that they are planning to resume production at their Hokkaido plants. According to Toyota, the Hokkaido plants will be restarted in two shifts: one beginning on September 11 and the other on September 13.

To be specific, all lines of Toyota's Motomatchi plant and some lines of their Takaoka Plant, Tsutsumi Plant and Tahara Plant is expected to resume operations today. All remaining lines of the Takaoka Plant, Tsutsumi Plant and Tahara Plant are to resume operations on September 13. Toyota's Hokkaido plants are crucial to their production line as they supply the necessary parts and components such as transmissions and drivetrains to both local and overseas Toyota production facilities in order to finish building vehicles.

With production soon to be back to normal at Toyota, we can only hope that Japan quickly recovers in the areas affected by both the typhoon and the earthquake.